Could You Set Me Free?
by suspect tomatoes
Summary: When Eligia Moretti meets Adam Copeland, he comes into her life at just the right time. Too bad he's not the only one who wants her. Edge/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Why don't people write Edge stories? If they spent less time writing about Batista raping Cena, they'd realize Edge needs love, too. Guess I'm the one of the few that has taste on this site.**

The day I met Adam Copeland had been, possibly, one of the worst days of my life. There were so many different things going wrong all at once, and to top it all off, he was dropped into my lap like a lost puppy. I didn't know what to do with him, so I did the first thing that came to mind.

I fell in love with him.

It wasn't an accident, but I didn't really do it on purpose, either. He was just... there, and I needed him to be... just there, and that second of pure security was what made the lock on my heart open up and let him in my life.

I was stupid to do it. I had never expected it to take me where I am today.

I had been spotting someone who was trying to bench press three-hundred pounds, and I was already sweating from my own work-out. The gym I worked at seemed to be over-run with people that day, probably because it was raining. I did that, too. I was there that day because I had to be, but when I had off, if the rain was coming down, I would come into the gym and work-out until the sun shined.

You can imagine how in shape I got during hurricane season.

"Come on, you're only at fifteen reps," I said flatly, looking around the crowded room. The humidity had probably shot up about fifteen percent with the amount of people. It was almost shoulder-to-shoulder at every machine or station.

I glanced back down at the guy, who shot his eyes back up at the ceiling. He must've been checking me out when I wasn't looking.

"Twenty," I said, bored. I took a quick gulp of the water bottle I had, watching the couple across from us add about fifty extra pounds onto the set they were doing. Someone was going to tear a muscle, and I would laugh, because I knew those scrawny bitches wouldn't be able to lift anything lighter than fifteen.

"So, how much do you bench?" the guy spewed, his breath harsh and quick. His face was covered in sweat, and his shirt was practically transparent. I probably didn't look like a beauty queen myself, but this dude was dripping like a leaky faucet.

I didn't even look at him as I said, "Two-twenty-five."

I heard him choke and drop the weight, right on his chest. I flung away my water bottle and hauled the bar off of him like a baby, putting it back on the rack. What a dumbass. I knew he couldn't handle it, but I didn't say anything.

"You okay?" I asked, getting on my knees. "Your chest hurt?"

He shook his head and sat up, bent over. He let out a few shaky breaths, his chest heaving. "You bench two-twenty-five?" he asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "Yeah. What's the big deal?"

He was still breathing like a dog, his tongue practically falling out of his mouth. "But you're a _chick_."

"I'm surprised you didn't notice before - my chest seemed to be a dead giveaway for you."

He blushed and looked away, arms limp against his legs.

I sighed, bending to pick up my drink. "Are you done? I need to get going - I'm meeting a new client today."

His head shot back, a brow raised.

I rolled my eyes. "Not like that, you moron. Someone needed a personal trainer, they got me."

"Oh." The guy laughed, running a hand back over his sweaty hair. "Gotcha. Yeah, I'm done. Thanks for your time."

"No problem." I stepped around him, heading into the back where my boss's office was. I probably should've showered, but if the guy I was supposed to be working with wanted to get started today, there was no point.

I opened the door, meeting the cool air-conditioning of the room. It worked a lot better when there were only two people taking up space.

Ray, the owner of the center, smiled up from his desk, office phone pressed to his ear. I sat across from him, waiting for his call to end. Ray's dad actually owned the place, but he was away so much that he just made his son take over for him. It worked out, anyway, since I never really got along with Mr. Turchirelli.

"Sorry about that, Gia. It was your client, actually." He sat back and picked at his fingernails. "He couldn't find the place, the dumb bastard. That's Canadians for you."

I furrowed my brow. "Canadian? He's Canadian?"

"Yeah, lives around here, though. Almost never home."

"Why? He in the army?"

"No. Actually, get this." Ray sat up, leaning his elbows against his desk. "He's a wrestler."

I laughed. "A wrestler? Famous or jobber?"

"Famous. Works for the WWE."

"No shit!" I laughed again, leaning back in my chair. "Wow. My dad's gonna get a kick out of this."

"Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny." Ray grabbed the pencil off the stack of papers next to his arm, tapping the eraser against the desk. "Especially since this kid was like a tourist trying to get here. He had no idea where he was."

"And he lives around here? What a joke."

"Well, like I said, I guess he isn't home a lot." Ray smiled stupidly. "Mr. Wrestler's got a busy schedule."

"So... Why does he want a personal trainer if he's never home?"

"He took some time off. A couple of months, I guess. He said he needed some rest, but he didn't want to get out of shape." He pointed the pencil at me. "That's where you come in."

I rolled my eyes. "Yippee. A Canadian Musclehead - sounds delicious."

Ray leaned back and laughed, his eyes closed. He looked like he was high, and knowing him, he might've been. A knock at the door cut off his giggles. "Oh. I guess you'll find out if he is or not," he said, getting out of his chair. I stayed in mine as he walked around, opening the door. "Hi. Adam, right?"

"Yeah." I heard something thump against the door - probably his gym bag - and his shoes scuffed against the carpet. Ray closed the door. "Sorry I'm so late," he apologized, staying behind me.

"It's not a problem - this isn't a job for you." Ray came back around, sitting at his desk. He motioned to the chair next to me. "Have a seat."

"Oh. Thanks." The guy came around and stopped when he saw me, then sat down, pulling at his jeans. He had nice legs - he wore those pants well.

Ray pointed at me. "This is Eligia, your new trainer."

Adam opened his mouth a little, looking at me. He smiled. "Oh. Hi. Nice to meet you, I'm Adam."

I held up my hand at his offered one, shaking my head. "Sweaty as hell, brother. Maybe next time."

He brought his fingers into a fist, bumping it against his knee awkwardly. "Right. Good thinking."

"I usually do."

"Don't act cocky, Gia," Ray said sternly, grinning at Adam. "She's the best we got, so her ego's a bit bigger than necessary."

"I know the feeling." Adam pushed his hair back, scratching the back of his head. "So, uh, when can we start? Training, I mean."

Ray looked at me. "Ask Gia."

I glanced at Adam, noticing the way his hair stayed where he put it, even after he dropped his hand. "You have nice hair."

He seemed confused at first, but that great smile of his pulled at the side of his lips, denting the corners. "Thanks. I'm sure yours looks great when it's not wet."

"You'd be betting on a pretty weak hand, man." I wiped at the side of my neck, grimacing at the sweat on my palm. "Uh... Well, since I'm already sweating like a pig, we can start today. If you'd like that."

Adam's grin didn't fade. "Yes. I'd like that."

I saw Ray's eyes shifting between us, a sly smile building on his face. "Great," he said enthusiastically. "Gia, get him all set up. Adam, it's nice to have a celebrity on board."

Adam stood up, pulling his shirt down where it was riding up, over his belt buckle. "Pleasure's all mine." His eyes shifted to me, and they went down, then up again, his tongue pressing against his bottom teeth. "Show me around, Eligia?"

I looked at Ray, who was smiling goofily at me, then up at Adam. I hopped out of my seat. "All right, let's get going. Want me to start you off easy?"

Adam pursed his lips. "Does it look like I need to?"

I walked backwards toward the door, watching the way his eyes danced. "Maybe. You look a little out of shape."

He grinned, crossing his arms. "Well, that's what I have you for, right?"

"That's right." I opened the door and started out, but stopped, turning around. Adam was already behind me, and I bumped into him, looking up into his devilish eyes. "But make sure I don't have to pump your 'roids for you. Needles make me squeamish."

He laughed, his breath minty and fresh. "I think I'm gonna like working with you."

I dropped my eyes, a small comma forming at the corner of my mouth. "Looks like you already do."

Adam just smiled and stepped past me, heading toward the weights. My eyes were trained on his back, his nice back that I could see through his lightweight shirt, and I never realized that this was the guy I was going to fall in love with.

But, like I said before, it wasn't on purpose. Nothing with Adam ever was.

**A/N: Well, that's the first chapter. I'm extremely excited about this story, and even if no one likes it, I'm going to keep writing it, because I want to. Loving Edge is better than reviews. Though they do keep me going, Edge reeking of awesomeness overpowers my senses. So review if you want, they're greatly appreciated. And they make me feel all fuzzy inside.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So. Edge.**

My drive home was silent, giving me time to reflect. Adam's first session went extremely well. Most of the people I've personally trained were out of shape when they came to me, so I had to start them off easy, then work my way up. With Adam, it was different. He was already in tip-top shape - the best I've ever seen, at least where I work. He went at the machines full force, and ran on the treadmill for a solid hour. I barely had to spot him. He knew how to do everything.

Including asking me out on a date.

I said no. Not flat out, of course. I didn't want to hurt his feelings. But I didn't want to fuck around with someone I just met, you know? He was a great guy, I knew this already, but he was my client, and I really had a thing about mixing work with pleasure.

He gave me his number, though. "Just in case," he said, with a smile and a wink. That alone made me want to say yes. He was so confident, yet subtle. He could've went for the gold, and try to talk me into going out to dinner with him, but he didn't. He wasn't ostentatious - I almost felt like he knew I was going to give in eventually, so why push my limits?

That's why I said no. He needed a little reality check.

I pulled into the driveway of my house. It wasn't the biggest place on the street, but it was right on the bay, so when the storms rolled in, the waves would practically hit the windows. I loved thunderstorms for that exact reason, and that's why I bought it.

I decided to leave my car out, to bask in the last rays from the setting sun, and headed up the front walkway to my door. My neighbor was outside, sitting on his deck with his wife, and I waved to them, but they didn't see me. They were usually friendly, but it looked like they had just gotten into a fight, because the woman had her magazine up to her face and the husband had more than one beer bottle on the glass table between them.

I shut the heavy door behind me, shivering from the air conditioner. I probably left it on too high again. The floor was like ice when I finally took my shoes off, kicking them next to the front closet.

My enormous gray cat, Von, was sitting on the kitchen counter, licking his paws. His golden eyes spotted me, disinterested, but he hopped down, and started meowing by his food bowl.

"Are you hungry, Von?" I bent down and ran my hand from his head to his tail, pulling some stray hairs off his pudgy body. He purred and closed his eyes and smiled. That's what I loved about him the most. When I went to get a cat at the pound, he was the only one who smiled. It was adorable.

I opened up the refrigerator and pulled out a Corona, searching through the white cupboards for a can of cat food. As I twisted the container open and dumped the mealy chunks in his dish, the phone rang, shrilling through the quiet house.

I picked up the wireless receiver, set on the counter from that morning. "Hello?"

"Eligia, my darling, why didn't you call when you got home?" My mom, born and raised in a tiny town just south of Napoli, Italy, only spoke Italian. I mean, of course she spoke English, but she taught all of her children her native language, and that was what she usually talked in.

"I just got home," I said, fluent as an indigenous speaker. "I was working late because I got a new client today."

"What's his name, child?"

"Adam Copeland. Dad might actually know who he is."

"Why, does he work at the newspaper?"

My father worked for one of the local posts, as a sports editor. He loved wrestling, but I just never got into it. "No, he's a wrestler," I said, popping the top of my beer on the cupboard handle.

"A wrestler? Which one?"

"How should I know? His name is Adam Copeland. Ask dad."

"_Beppe_! _Beppe_, your daughter wants-a talk-a to you," my mom yelled in broken English. I heard the phone being transferred between hands.

"Eligia, _dolce mia_, how-a you doin'?" My dad rarely spoke in Italian, unless he was mad. He was easier to talk to him than my mother.

"Wonderful, _papa_. Do you know who Adam Copeland is?"

He paused, thinking. "Does he work-a for the newspaper?"

"No. He's a wrestler."

"Adam Copeland? I have a-no idea."

"He works for the WWE. I don't know if that's his... ring name, or whatever."

"What's-a he look-a like?"

So incredibly handsome, but I couldn't tell my father that. He'd track the poor bastard down and kill him with his bare hands. "He's pretty tall... with blond hair."

"Blond-a hair... " I heard him scratch his scruff. "He on-a Smack-a-down or the other one?"

"Smackadown?"

"It's-a brand."

"There are brands? Jesus. I don't really care, _papa_. Sorry to bother you."

"Are you-a sure? I could-a figure this-a one-a out - "

"No, no, _papa_. Just give the phone back to _mamma_."

"Okay. You come-a for da supper this-a Sunday?"

"Always, _papa_."

"_Buono. Ciao, bambina_."

"_Ciao, papa_."

I heard him hang up the phone, and I smiled. He never listened to anything I said. I ended the call and put the receiver back on the counter, leaning next to it with my beer in my hand.

Von looked up at me and meowed loudly. He was always a talker.

"I had an okay day." I smiled and held my foot out for him to sniff. The phone rang again, sending Von out of his skin and into the other room, shooting under the couch. I heard him growl. "It's okay, Von, it's just my mom." I pressed talk, grinning. "_Ciao, mamma_!"

Silence.

"_Mamma_?"

Nothing.

Von was still hissing under the couch, fighting with the dust-covers, so I turned to the window, staring out into the darkening night. "Hello?"

A shallow breath ruffled the other end.

I swallowed the spit in the back of my throat, checking the Caller ID. It said Restricted, but I was still connected. "Hello?" I said again, and I hoped I didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

The only sound I heard was the line disconnecting, that tinny bump echoing in my ear.

I suddenly felt very alone.

I cradled the phone quickly, looking around as I hit the end button. Von had just poked his head out, covered in lint, gazing at me curiously. "Don't stare at me," I hissed, turning so I could fumble to get the receiver back on the counter. I didn't dare look outside.

Von twisted himself around my feet, purring loudly, but I barely heard him. I was too busy biting my nails, weakly telling myself that it was just a prank call, and that I had nothing to worry about.

I did scream when my purse flipped over, onto the ground, when Von hopped up next to me. My belongings scattered across the floor, the chain straps clinking noisily against the tile.

Then everything was silent again.

"Von, you bastard," I said quietly, not liking the way my voice carried. I glanced into the dark living room, shaking as I bent to the ground and hastily started picking things up. I kept my eyes moving, just in case.

As I messily grabbed at lipstick, my wallet and check book, my eye caught the small piece of paper settled on top of a pile of bobby-pins. It was ripped, like someone had taken a receipt and torn it in half. I reached for it, looking over into the dark living room again.

Nothing.

I sighed with relief and snatched it, smiling softly at the messily scrawled number. I wasn't thinking straight. The overwhelming eyes-on-the-back-of-my-head feeling was enough to drive me to snag the phone from the counter and dial it.

"Hello?" His voice sounded wonderful, low and growly.

"Adam?" I sat back against the cupboard doors, feeling helpless. "It's Eligia."

"Eligia. How's it going?"

"I, uh... " I looked into the dense room again, casting my eyes down shakily as I played with a stray string on my pants. "I was wondering if you were still up for dinner."

**A/N: Ah, the plot thickens. PS - Beppe is a pet name for Guiseppe. Pronounced BEH-PEH, and JIS-EPP-EH. Also, Eligia is pronounced EH-LEE-JUH. Oh, and I felt like Santino writing that broken English. But that's-a how-a my grand-a-mother talks-a, so I'm-a not-a stealing Santino's-a dialect. Review.**


	3. Chapter 3

I tried to act natural and calm, but as I parked my car a few spots ahead of the one Adam was leaning against, I couldn't help but feel the nerves tying my stomach into knots. It wasn't seeing him, of course. At least, not all of it. It was the phone call, the constant looking over my shoulder as I got ready to meet him, dressing in the closet, locking every window and every door before watching my dark house as I drove away slowly.

It was the fear that was driving my stomach to grumble and flutter - not Adam Copeland.

He smiled when he saw me walking toward him, leaning against the trunk of his car, and pushed the fullness of his hair back with a slow sweep of his hand. I liked the way it stayed, not necessarily behind his ear, but against his head, stuck with the thickness of it.

"Hi there," I said breathlessly, not really knowing what else to say or do.

He slid his left hand back into his front pocket, smiling down at the ground. How his fingers fit there was beyond me - those jeans were anything but loose.

"Thanks for... coming out." I was awkward and I knew it. I could feel it radiating off my skin, seeping into his.

"My pleasure," he said quietly, glancing up at me, the sun setting behind me illuminating the green of his eyes. "After all, I _was_ the one that asked you in the first place."

"Yes, but I said no."

"Did you?" He grinned and pushed off his car, walking with me slowly toward the restaurant he'd picked. It was a chic place, with lights strung together over the outside area. "I remember you actually saying yes on the phone."

"Well, the first time I said no." I crossed my arms and looked behind me subtly. "And then I called and asked you out."

"In the second place," he countered playfully. "I asked you first."

"Christ, what are, teenagers?" I couldn't hide my anger, and he could see it, my edginess.

He shrugged and kept walking, silent.

I shuffled beside him, peaking over my shoulder just one last time. I promised myself the minute I stepped into the restaurant, I'd forget about the entire phone call.

"Did you forget to lock your car or something?"

I looked at him, confused. "What?"

"You keep looking at your car." He stopped walking. "Do you need to go lock it?"

"Oh. No, no." I waved it off, trying to act natural. "It's... it's fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." I smiled weakly. "Thanks."

He grinned slowly, his nice teeth gleaming in the last of the sun's rays. He put his hand on my back as we went through the gate. I liked the feel of it there, so strong and warm, but I stepped away from it. I didn't let anyone touch me.

The waitress came over after we were seated, a petite blond with pretty lips and nice legs, and handed us our menus, her eyes lingering on Adam. He kept his eyes on me, waiting for my order.

"What's your poison?" he asked playfully.

The waitress turned to me reluctantly, and I said meekly, "Just water, thanks."

He frowned, but looked at the girl finally, who was wringing her order pad with excitement. "Scotch on the rocks," he said quickly, and returned his gaze to me.

I watched the girl go, the way she whispered to another waitress with a quick toss of her hair. The feeling of being watched only heightened at the attention.

"You okay?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

I nodded, sliding the ring off my napkin, just so I had something to do with my hands.

He tapped his against the table. "So. Not much of a drinker?"

I shrugged. "It's bad for you. I only do it on special occasions."

"And this isn't special?"

I tried not to laugh at his seriousness, the way his eyebrow lifted and one corner of his mouth dimpled. I just shook my head and looked away, feeling my face flush.

"I'm hurt." He grinned, then scanned his eyes over his menu, rubbing his nice hand across his lips and chin as he debated between dishes. "What're you gonna have?" He lifted his eyes and waited.

"Um... " I looked at the first thing that caught my eye. "Spaghetti."

"Nah, come on, that's weak."

"Excuse me?"

"You can make spaghetti at home." He tapped his finger against his jaw pensively. "Have something you could never make in a million years."

I couldn't help but smile. Adam's easiness was the sexiest thing about him. I wanted to do whatever he said, and listen whenever he talked. He made me feel like a high school girl, going on a date with the senior quarterback - stupid and giddy.

"So." He looked at me again, eyes dancing in the candle set on the table. "What're you having?"

I could make almost everything on the menu - it was an Italian restaurant, after all. Most of the stuff was easy, at least to me. "I can make everything on this menu."

"You're lying." He looked at his own, eyes narrowed with determination. "Stracciatella Gelato?"

I laughed inwardly at his pronunciation, shaking my head. "Yeah, and that's dessert."

He sighed and looked again, a smug smile forming. "Pasta fagiole."

This time I laughed completely out loud. "It's pronounced fasool."

He glanced at the menu, curling his lip back. "_That's_ pronounced as fasool?"

I let a little giggle slip. "Yeah."

He shook his head, curly and voluminous hair bouncing. "Pronunciation aside, can you make it?"

The name was a trick - it sounded elaborate, but in reality, pasta fagiole was a peasant dish. Macaroni and beans, sometimes with tomatoes. My mother used to make it all the time when my siblings and I were little. I was about to tell him this, but his eyes looked so happy and he seemed so full of himself that I couldn't help but shake my head and say, "Nope. I could never make that."

I think he knew I was fooling him, but he let me order it anyway.

-

"So, Eligia." He stopped cutting his chicken. "Am I saying that right?"

I grinned over my water glass. "_Eleejuh_."

"Ah. I was only screwing up the last part."

"That you were."

He smiled and stabbed the piece he was cutting. "From around here?"

I shrugged. "More or less. I lived in Napoli until I was five, then my family moved here."

He raised his eyebrows. "You actually lived in Italy?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm fluent in the language."

"No shit!" He looked around, baring his teeth in embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"It's okay."

He smiled, sitting back. "Wow. A real Italian beauty. That's something."

"Shut up." I pushed at my hair nervously, playing with the ends. "Where are you from?"

"Canada."

I snorted a laugh. "Must be quite a change living here, huh?"

"Yeah. It's so weird. Everybody _sweats_ here." He looked around, playing the disgust. "I miss the cold for that reason alone."

I smiled, running my fingers around the rim of my water glass. "I've never seen the snow. At least, not a lot of it."

"Really?" He blinked. "Wow."

"Well, I lived in Napoli, and then here. It doesn't exactly snow a lot."

"Point taken." He grinned. "Maybe I should take you there sometime. Snow's a wonderful thing."

I grimaced. "It's cold. And wet."

"But it's fun." He winked, still smiling. I could feel the chemistry radiating between us.

"One date, Adam, and you're already inviting me to your hometown?" I shook my head. "That's pretty cheap."

He laughed, a low rumbling coming from his chest. "Good point. Maybe we should wait until the second."

I smiled and glanced at my watch. "Jesus Christ, it's almost ten."

He yawned, stretching back in his seat. I saw his stomach where his black shirt rode up. "Yeah, I guess we should get going, huh?"

"You finished, though? I don't want to rush you."

He was already standing up, reaching to help me out of my seat. "Yeah, I'm done. Just let me go pay and I'll walk you to your car."

"I can pay half - "

He put his hand on the back of my neck, walking me to the exit. "No way. Wait here, I'll be right back."

I watched him head into the restaurant. The streets were practically deserted, a car passing by every so often. I was standing on the edge of a patch of light coming from one of the street lamps. The darkness was surrounding me, taking me in. My heart began to pound.

"All set," he said cheerfully, stopping short when he saw my face. "Are you okay?"

I glanced at him, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yeah. Let's go."

He frowned, but followed me closely, his hand bumping my arm as we went toward our cars. We walked completely past his, and I pointed, but he shook his head. "I have to walk you to your car."

I smiled. "Why?"

"I just wanna make sure you're safe." He smiled and waited, leaning against the back door as I unlocked mine.

I pulled it open, and he straightened, coming in close to me. I grinned up at him. "Well... Good night, Mr. Copeland. I had a good time."

"So did I," he said quietly, his chest brushing softly against my body. He bent his head, his hair falling away, touching my face, tickling my skin.

I stepped back and smiled, placing a shaky hand against his shirt. "See you tomorrow?"

His mouth was open, ready to kiss me, but he grinned and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. Gotta work off the food we just ate, right?"

"Of course." I turned to my door, but he reached out, snagging my wrist.

"Wanna know why I walked you to your car?"

I grinned softly. "To make sure I was safe?"

He shook his head.

"Why then?"

He bent down, pressing his lips softly to mine. It was quick, but powerful, and when he pulled back, his eyes were on fire. "To kiss you good night."

**A/N: Sigh. Edge is my dream man. Review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: If Edge is really coming back this week, I'm going to cry with joy.**

I slid out of an easy sleep when the phone started ringing. I couldn't really tell what time it was - a thunderstorm had rolled off the bay late last night, shuddering the open window and sent the curtains flapping wildly. I could still hear the rain pounding against the back porch awning, sliding off in streams against the wet planks of the deck.

I struggled to sit up, twisted into a position that made my back crack when I straightened and reached for the offending noise. I didn't have a portable phone in the bedroom, it was one of those old touch-tone types, the kind your grandmother used because she didn't believe in upgrading technology. I knocked the receiver off the cradle, listening to it bounce against the cold, hardwood floor. At least it stopped that incessant shrilling.

I tugged it by its cord, placing it upside down against my ear. "Hello?" I mumbled sleepily. The silence didn't even register at first, so I leaned back against the pillows, waiting for an answer. "Hello?"

I heard the quietest hiss, it was almost like a chuckle, and then the line went dead.

I squinted at the mouth piece, leaning over to clumsily thump it back into the holder. It rang again, almost immediately, so I picked it up, pushing my messy hair out of my eyes. "Hello?" I asked, a little clearer this time, just in case the caller didn't recognize me.

The hush was unnerving, the softest breathing coming from the other end.

I sat up, struggling with my sheets, and pushed the phone between my ear and my shoulder. "Who is this?"

The breath was a little harder, a little shallower, but nothing came from the caller's mouth.

My heart began to pound. "Who are you? Why are you calling me?"

It was that noise again - the smallest laugh, breathless and hushed. The line disconnected.

I was wide awake by now, becoming aware of everything around me. I pushed the phone back into the cradle, pressing my hand down, like the person would come out of it if I didn't hold it in place. I flickered my eyes up quickly as the curtain slapped against the sides of the windowpane loudly, whapping in and out as the rain steadied.

I was out of my bed as fast I could, slamming into the sill as I tore the curtains back to smash the window close. I hastily flipped the locks, leaning my forehead against the cool glass. I willed my heart to slow - it was just a prank, that's all.

I damn near screamed when the phone rang again. I looked over my shoulder at it, the red light on the keypad blinking quickly with each shrill. I found my legs taking me to it, ripping the receiver up so the rest of the machine slid off the night stand, hanging by the cord.

"What do you want from me?" I hissed, upset that I sounded as scared as I felt. I didn't want this punk to know what he was doing to my heart.

There was a short pause, but the voice on the other end increased my heart-rate about tenfold when he finally spoke. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

I closed my eyes, reveling in the sweet growl. "I'm sorry. I thought you were... someone else."

Adam chuckled slightly. "I don't like the sound of that."

Neither did I.

"Eligia?" he asked, after a minute of silence. "You okay?"

I shook my head. "Yes. I'm fine. I just... you woke me up."

"Oh. Sorry. I figured you were one of those people who was up at dawn."

"You figured wrong," I said playfully, trying to get comfortable on my bed. It wasn't easy - I felt like someone was watching me. "But aside from your complete lack of good judgment, why'd you call?"

I could hear him smiling. "Well, the thing of it is... I'm hungry."

I nodded. "Okay. I am, too - just a little."

"Really? Isn't that something." He yawned loudly, and I could hear him scratching his head. "Well. I think we should do something about that, don't you?"

"It's a definite possibility." I bit my lip. "What were you thinking?"

"Maybe getting breakfast? I mean, we have to work out together, anyway. We might as well make it worth our while, right?"

His voice, so low and strangely seductive - even with normal banter - was miraculously persuasive. He was charismatic and damn good at it. I'd never met a person quite like him.

"What do you say, Eligia?" He still said my name wrong, but I found it incredibly endearing.

The best thing about him was his ability to make me forget the skittish feeling I had moments earlier. I just nodded my head. "I'd love to."

---

I picked my favorite pretentious cafe - the kind that sat right on the bay, with the waves lapping up against the deck's sturdy legs. But since it was raining, we had to sit inside with the beatniks and poets, listening to them recite love songs with their make-shift musical instruments. They were always there, entertaining the crowd with their heart-felt expressions of love.

Adam wanted to sit by the window, where he could watch the lightning hit the water. Everything was gray, and the room was extremely cold, like the air-conditioning was still on. I rubbed the bumps off my arms as a woman with ginger-spiced hair gave us cups of complimentary hot tea for the chilly day. She laid out our menus and headed over to another table.

"So, this is like a hippie place I take it?" Adam had the most amused look on his face as he looked over the selection, flipping the paper over to scan the back.

"I guess. It's a little too pretentious to be a hippie place." I shrugged. "It's almost as if their trying too hard, you know?"

"I kinda got that vibe, too." He lifted his eyes with that smirk on his face and I had to look away, staring out at the sea. I could see his intense reflection in the glass.

The woman came back and took our orders, sliding a basket of freshly baked pumpkin bread onto the edge of our table before heading into the kitchen.

"So, Adam," I said nonchalantly, attempting to hide my smile as we both dove for the same piece. I let him take it, breaking another in two. "What's this whole wrestling thing about?"

He snorted slightly, chewing. He raised his eyebrow. "Where would you like me to start?"

"Well, I don't really watch it. My dad's a huge fan, but he didn't know who you were."

He frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah. I told him your name and everything - "

"Oh." He nodded, sliding another piece into his mouth. His licked his thumb. "That's because my name's not Adam."

I blinked. "It isn't?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Not on the show, at least." He rubbed his hand against his jeans, under the table. "My name's Edge."

"Edge?"

"Yeah. It's a long story."

"Okay." I blew on my tea, feeling the hot smoke warm my face. "And how is this Edge character?"

"He's kind of an asshole," he said, shrugging.

"Kind of?"

He smiled. "More or less."

"Why's he an asshole?"

"Because it's so much easier being the bad guy." He wiggled his brows. "And I love making people angry."

"You're good at it," I said, grinning. "What do you do exactly?"

"Kick ass."

"Ah."

"What, you're not gonna say I'm good at that?"

I smiled slightly. "I wouldn't know."

"Well, maybe I'll show you sometime."

I bit my lip to keep myself from grinning like an idiot. Adam made me feel like I wasn't alone. He had the warm comfort that only a few people could pull off without trying, and I couldn't help but want to get closer to him. He had a gravitational pull - an attraction that rendered me speechless.

"Can I tell you something, Eligia?"

I lifted my gaze, straight into his, and I stayed there, watching his emotions swirling. I nodded.

He looked down, then away, crossing his arms against the table. "I... " He sighed, running his hand back through his luscious hair.

"And here I thought you were charismatic."

He grinned at me, his hand at the back of his head, fluffing his curls. "I really like you, Eligia."

"I like you, too, Edge."

His mouth stretched, pulling at the sides, then finally broke, showing his pearly white teeth. "I want to get to know you, Eligia."

I knocked my foot subtly against his shin, grinning. "I'd like that a lot, Edge."

He leaned forward, and so did I, our faces practically touching. He was breathing a little heavier, his eyes looking my face up and down rapidly. "Can I kiss you, Eligia?"

I swallowed quietly. "You didn't ask last night."

The last thing I saw was his grin, because my eyes closed, feeling his lips softly against mine.

A loud vibration hummed against the table top, rattling our elbows. I opened my eyes and found Adam already staring at me, even as he leaned back, rubbing a beautiful hand down his face. It was against his chin when he finally said, "You should probably answer that."

I licked my lips, wanting him back there, but I looked down and picked up my phone, flipping open the cover. ONE NEW TEXT MESSAGE, the screen said. From an unknown number. I clicked enter.

_I wanna kiss you, too, Eligia._

I couldn't tell if I was shaking or if the phone had started vibrating again, but the second Adam put his hand over mine, I lifted my wild eyes and met his concerned ones.

"What's the matter?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

I could barely think, let alone form sentences, but I somehow managed the gulp the dryness at the back of my throat, and look into Adam's worried face. "He can see me," I whispered.

His mouth opened slightly. "Who can? What are you talking about?"

"I... " I stood up, knocking my chair back, causing the other customers to stare at me quizzically. I could see their faces in the window, all of them. He could have been anyone. "I have to go."

"Eligia," Adam said abruptly, standing to his full height.

I grabbed his hand. "Come with me. Please."

He looked at me for a moment, either out of hesitation or decryption, but then he nodded, giving my hand a tight squeeze. "Let's get out of here."

**A/N: Ooo. Chilling. I love writing Edge. He's so goddamn handsome. Review. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! They made me super happy.**

I swished the melted ice at the bottom of my glass, trying to figure out a way to tell Adam what had been going on. We were back at my place, the doors and windows locked, the shades drawn, and Adam was pacing back and forth in front of me while I sat, defeated, my hands between my knees, nursing a Vodka tumbler when it wasn't even noon.

"I... I'm kinda loss for words," I stated weakly.

"Yeah, you mentioned that." Adam stopped abruptly and took a seat next to me, running his hands back through his hair. "Okay, let's try to figure this out. When did this guy start calling you?"

"Yesterday." I knocked back an ice cube, crunching the sour remnants of alcohol between my teeth. "I don't really even know if someone is stalking me, I just - "

"Eligia - " Adam looked away, clenching his fists subtly against his legs. I already knew his mannerisms - he was mad. He wouldn't make eye contact, and he was just staring at the floor, his fingernails digging into his palms, lips bent in, causing that cute dimple in his cheek to indent. He pushed his hair back again, looking at me. "Eligia, it's not exactly rocket science."

"I know, I just... " I sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I jumped to conclusions - "

"Eligia!" Adam flew off my bed, pacing the floor again. "He has your number, both house and cell phone, and he's made creepy observations that only a _stalker_ would see. How can you even say he's not stalking you?"

"Because it's only been a day?" I shrugged and put my glass between my feet. "Adam, it's just... I don't know. It's all happening too fast."

Adam bit his lip and looked away, breathing heavily. Calmly, he walked over and sat down, putting his hand on my knee firmly. "Eligia," he said quietly, and didn't continue until I looked up and met his gaze. "I really care about you. You know that, right?"

I nodded dumbly.

"I don't like what this guy is saying to you." He reached behind us, plucking my cell phone from the bunched up comforter. "'I wanna kiss you, too, Eligia'? That's creepy. Even _I_ get the chills, and it's not even about me."

"Adam, I know, okay? I just... Maybe I'm going - "

"No. Eligia, you're not. It doesn't have to be a certain period of time for it to be considered stalking. This," he held up the phone, shaking it in my face, "_This_ is stalking. I don't care if it's only been twenty-four hours, you're being stalked, and I don't like it."

I smiled humorlessly, sneaking a peek at his face. "You think I enjoy it?"

Adam's lips slid into a grin, but he shook his head. "Eligia, I don't want you here tonight."

"But, Adam - "

"No. Eligia, seriously. I want you out of this house, tonight."

"Where would you like me to go?"

Adam swallowed, looking away. "Why don't you stay at my place?"

I blinked. "Seriously?"

"Look, I know it's sudden, and I know we barely know each other, but I don't want you here. I don't want you anywhere where this guy" -he shook the phone a little- "can get a hold of you. I want you safe, and I want you with me."

His face so calm and sincere, I had no choice but to lean over and press my lips softly to his. He sat very still, his back tense, hand clenched on my leg, until he opened his mouth and welcomed what was waiting for him.

He pulled away, eyes trained deeply on my face. "Is that a yes?" he growled.

I nodded. "I guess so."

He smiled brightly, pushing my hair back. "Good. I really don't like you here alone."

"You mentioned that," I said quietly.

He frowned, fingers curling through the strands. "Wanna get going?"

"To your house?"

"Yeah."

I shook my head. "You have to work out, buddy."

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. I need to get paid."

He laughed, the sides of his mouth deepening the lines in his cheeks. "All right. Let's get going, then."

* * *

Walking into the gym was unnerving. I was surrounded by so many people, so many people that could've been him. I was usually used to guys staring at me, especially there, but when all eyes fell on Adam and me, I tried to spin around and go right back out the door.

"Shh," Adam said quietly, clenching my hand a little tighter. My heart slowed a bit. "Take it easy."

I let out a breath and smiled thankfully at him, dragging him quickly through the machines and sweaty bodies to the back. I let him go into the guys' side of the locker room, pushing through the door of the women's afterward. It was dead silent in there. Usually, it was bustling with women, fixing their hair, taking showers, getting ready to work out. But I was alone in there, the sound of the door banging closed echoing off the tiled walls.

I tried to dress as quickly as possible, thumping around in one of the cubicles, fixing my hair in the mirror before heading back into the hallway. Adam wasn't out yet, so I waited by the door, avoiding eye contact with customers by staring at my feet.

"Excuse me?"

I looked up. The guy from yesterday was standing in front of me, a little too close for comfort. I pressed back against the wall a little more.

He smiled easily, his blue eyes a little too friendly. "Do you remember me? You spotted me yesterday."

I nodded.

"Well - I'm Pete, by the way - I was just wondering if I could ask you to do the same again today. My girlfriend usually does it, but she hasn't been coming with me lately."

Girlfriend. That made my heart slow a little. I licked my lips, looking away. "Uh, I'd love to, but I'm - "

"Come on, now," he said quietly, taking a step closer. "It'll only be for a couple of minutes."

"I can't. I'm here with a client. Sorry."

"Where is this client?" He turned his head left and right, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't see anyone."

If this asshole had come up to me before yesterday, I would've just kicked him in the balls and told him to suck it. But there I was, pressed against the wall of the gym, while this guy continued to move closer, eyes turning a darker shade of blue. I couldn't find my voice.

"Hey!"

Pete turned around, moving away from me. I saw Ray standing in the doorway of his office, eyes narrowed.

I let out a shaky breath.

Ray noticed, eyes trained on me. "What's going on here?"

Pete shook his head. "Nothin'."

"I'll give you nothin'." Ray came out, raising his hand. "Get the hell out of here. I see this again, I'll have you arrested."

Pete stumbled over his feet, pushing through the swinging door that led to the front of the gym. I watched it swivel back and forth, meeting Ray's gaze when he finally came up to me.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah. He wasn't... I mean... He was okay. Just a little too close."

"I don't like that."

"Neither do I."

Ray sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Just... take the rest of the day off. I don't want you here if that asshole is."

"No, no, I'm here with Adam."

Ray raised his brow. "Adam?"

"My client. The wrestler?"

"Oh. You're training him today?"

"Yeah. I guess. We were just going to work out and then I was going to leave."

Ray frowned, but nodded. "All right. That's fine, then. Just... " He patted the side of my face. "Make sure he watches out for you."

I smiled. "I can handle myself, Ray."

He laughed slightly, but his eyes were dark. "Just watch your back, Gia."

"I will, Ray. Don't worry."

The door next to me opened, and Adam came out, stopping his tracks when he saw how close Ray and I were. He furrowed his brow, anger boiling. "What's this about?"

"Adam," Ray said excitedly, holding his hand out. "Nice to see you again."

Adam shook it cautiously, eyeing me. "You too. What's going on?"

"Nothing. Just keeping Gia company while she waited for you. I didn't like that she was alone."

Adam's face softened and he smiled. "Oh. Well, thanks. I can take it from here, though."

"See that you do." Ray winked at me, walking backwards toward his door. "Take care, Gia."

I waved weakly, watching him shut himself off in his office again. Adam's hand found it's way to the small of my back, and I looked up at him, meeting his suspicious gaze. "What?"

"What happened?"

I shook my head. "It was nothing. Just someone I spotted. He wanted me to do it again, and I said I couldn't, so he got a little... too close."

Adam's face tightened. "_What_?"

"Adam, it's - "

"Eligia, that could've been _him_." He pulled me against him, tight in his arms. "Oh, Christ, and I was on the other side of that door. Something could've happened to you!"

"But it didn't. And it wasn't. That kid was too stupid to do something like that." I shook off the creepy feeling Adam was making run down the back of my neck. Could that really have been _him_? "Let's just get this over with, okay? I wanna get out of here."

"No. We're leaving now."

"Adam - "

"Eligia, I don't want to stay here. I don't want _you_ to stay here. We're going."

I glared at him. "You're getting a little too bossy."

He opened his mouth to say something, but he ended up closing it and shut his eyes. "Sorry. I'm just worried about you."

I put my cheek against his chest, listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat. "It's all right. You don't have to worry about me."

He let out a shaky breath. "Do you want to leave or not?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not gonna let this run my life." I lifted my gaze, patting Adam's smooth stomach. "And speaking of running, I want you to do at least two miles. Don't want your stomach getting soft, do you?"

He smiled down at me, bending to kiss my hair. "You're so incredibly strong, you know that?"

"And you," I patted his biceps, "are not. Get moving."

He laughed and pushed open the door, dragging me along. My heart began to speed up as everyone started watching us again, but I realized when Adam smiled at me that it wasn't them doing that to me.

It was him.

**A/N: EDGE. I need him to come back. FUCK CENA, where are Edge's homages!? Review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So this story wins. It's not a chore to write this. Probably because Edge owns my life.  
**

I was absolutely taken aback when I pulled in behind Adam as he parked in the driveway of his house. I just sat there with the car running for a few seconds, admiring the sunshine slanting across the roof, beaming down onto the car in front of me. I saw Adam get out and wait for me, and when I didn't move for those few seconds, he started over toward me.

I shut off the car and opened my door. "This can't be your house."

His smile was cocky, but his eyes were warm. "Life of a wrestler, baby."

I just shook my head and walked dumbly with him toward his front door, gazing in awe at the mere structure of his home. I didn't realize my mouth was open until Adam tapped my chin lightly and laughed, watching me close it quickly.

"Are you really that blown away?" He looked around. "It's not that big."

"Are you kidding me?" I touched the walls, running my fingers over the doorway. "I like the color."

"I had... " He waved his hand, stepping past me. "Someone do it. Color schemes and all that."

"Well, it's nice." The size was extraordinary, but the comfort was beyond that. I figured a big house like this - barely lived in - would be empty and lonely. But it wasn't. I felt quite content there, watching Adam awkwardly swat at the pillows resting against the couch cushions.

"I don't really... " He gazed at the room, frowning slightly. "I haven't been home in so long, it's kinda... dusty."

I laughed, crossing my arms as I meandered my way around, looking at the pictures, the carpet. "It doesn't look dusty."

"Well, it is. Maybe."

"Or maybe you're just self-conscious." I threw a grin over my shoulder and peeked into one of the rooms that was off to the side. "What's in here?"

"Oh, that's my uh... " He hurried over to me and pushed the door open with his fingers, standing close. "This is my office."

I nodded in approval as I wandered in, inspecting the shelves bursting with books and CDs. Adam sat down in the swivel chair at his desk, watching me while I did a quick overview of the place. I looked at him, smiling slightly. "I like it. It's homey."

He shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal."

I tapped the books, sliding one out randomly. "Who's Ric Flair?"

"Who's Ric Flair?" Adam laughed at my dumb expression. "Wow. You really don't know _any_thing about wrestling, do you?"

I shrugged. "My dad likes... Oh, who is it?"

"What does he watch?"

I blinked at him. "Wrestling."

He laughed again and gazed almost dreamily at me, moving his chair back and forth slightly. "I meant, what brand."

"Oh, he mentioned something about that." I snapped my fingers repeatedly. "Smackadown?"

Adam furrowed his brow, amused. "Smackadown? Is that what he calls it?"

"Yeah." I looked at the book in my hands, rifling through the pages. "Why, is that not the name?"

"Well, it's Smackdown, so he's close enough."

I nodded. "Oh. It's probably just his accent."

"His accent?"

"Yeah. He speaks in broken English. 'Eligia, you make-a me crazy with all-a your health-a foods!'" I pumped my fist with every word, like a true Italian would.

Adam was in fits by the time I finished. Maybe it was the stupid, school-girl feeling he gave me, but just the way he slowly stopped laughing and just looked at me made my insides flip. "You're a good mimmick," he said huskily.

I blushed and looked away, hoping to wipe that stupid grin off my face. I put the book back and tapped my fingers against another one, pulling it out. "Lita? Who's Lita?"

Adam chuckled softly. "Now it's my turn to laugh at your pronunciation. It's Lee-ta."

I nodded, waiting.

He sighed. "She's a wrestler."

I looked at the cover. "She's pretty."

"Yeah. She was certainly something." He spun the chair around slowly, staring at the far wall, a strange hindrance washing over his face. He stayed silent, just rocking back and forth, and his face increasingly got darker.

I bit my lip and thumped the paperback in between two other ones, running my hands against the bindings of the rest of them. There were four blue ones stacked up horizontally on the edge, so I snagged one, checking out the cover.

I blinked. "Adam Copeland on Edge?"

Adam, coming out of whatever stupor he was in, turned toward me suddenly, brow raised. "Huh?"

I ran my fingers over the half of his face that was showing, smiling slightly. "You wrote a book?"

He finally smiled. "Oh, yeah. A while ago."

I strolled over to where he was sitting, flipping page by page, settling on the foreword. There was a picture of him with some guy, and Adam looked so handsome standing there, eyes hidden by sunglasses. I turned my head toward him, plopping onto his lap, and smiled.

He shifted slightly, sitting up from his slouched position. "That's Mick Foley," he said quietly, his chin resting on my shoulder. I saw his eyes glance up at me, then back at the book. "He wrote the foreword. He's a wrestling legend, just like Ric Flair."

I nodded and flipped the page, settling back into the perfect fit he made for me. "Can I read this?"

"You can have that copy." His hand ran up and down my spine softly. "I have more, so it's no big deal."

"You sure?" I smiled and kissed his cheek, looking back at the opening words. "It's good so far."

He grinned. "How much have you actually read?"

"Couple of sentences."

He laughed and leaned back, making himself comfortable against the chair. He just sat there and watched me read, smiling when I scoffed and rubbing my back whenever it seemed like he was getting bored.

I snapped the book closed suddenly, and he jumped.

"What?" he said, eyes wide with confusion.

I grinned. "I wanna see you in action."

That adorable dimple appeared in the corner of his mouth. "Do you?"

I wanted to slap that cocky look off his face, but instead, I just slapped his chest, smiling softly. "No," I whined. "I meant _wrestling_."

"So did I." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Get out of here, you pig." I drummed my fingers against his collarbone. "No, don't you have a DVD or something?"

"I don't just have _one_."

"Do you have one you can show me?"

He nodded. "Under one condition."

I crossed my legs, bobbing my foot up and down, waiting for him.

"We get to order pizza."

I laughed. "Pizza's so bad for you."

"So are you," he said quietly, and kissed my shoulder. "Get up, you're breaking my pelvic bone."

I stood up languidly, stretching my hands over my head with a yawn. Adam walked into me and immediately dove his arms around my middle, walking me out of the room. "Where are we going?" I asked tiredly.

"To watch a Pay-Per-View." He snagged his house phone on the way. "And eat pizza."

* * *

Wrestling was weird. Exciting, but weird. Adam had picked out a DVD with some babe on the cover, popped it in, then fell onto the couch beside me, and snagged a slice of pizza from the box in front of us. I was mostly silent through the thing, watching intently to see why millions of people watched it.

From what I saw, I certainly realized why millions of girls did.

"Who's that?" I whispered excitedly.

Adam was thrown across the couch, while I was bunched up at one end, with his head pressed against my side. He looked up at me with a huff. "Matt Hardy."

I made a small noise and pointed to someone else. "Who's that?"

"Mark Henry."

I frowned. "What just happened?"

"Disqualification."

I nodded, like I really understood anything he was saying. "Can you get me another slice?"

Adam leaned forward and took a bite of the piece he took for me, holding it up to my face without looking where he was going. I moved back slightly, taking it from his hands.

There were a couple more matches before something big and metal started to descend upon the ring. I sat up a little straighter. "What's that?"

"Steel cage," he said, bored.

"Why?"

"Because it's a Hell in a Cell match."

I blinked. "What's that?"

He looked at me, eyes laughing. "Will you just shut up and watch?"

I frowned, taking a bite of my pizza.

Some obnoxious music started playing, lights flashing across the stage while fog billowed from the entrance. I watched intently, waiting. I felt Adam smile when I squealed as he stepped out, looking crazier than I'd ever seen him.

"That's you!" I gasped.

He opened his mouth in mock surprise. "It is!"

"Why do you look so demonic!?"

He laughed against my side, rumbling my ribcage. "I was supposed to."

"This is wonderful! Wait, what the hell's going on?"

Adam looked at the screen. "Undertaker."

I grimaced. "_Undertaker_?"

"Yeah. The Dead Man."

"I don't like this guy."

"You're probably the only one." Adam shifted slightly, sliding his head against my thigh. "He's pretty big. He's a legend, too. Gotta respect him for that."

"He's creepy." I took this opportunity to feel what Adam's hair was like, and it was just as I'd imagined - soft and billowy. "You have nice hair."

"You mentioned that."

"But really - you do."

"I have a nice everything."

I tugged the ends slightly. "Don't be cocky."

"Don't be what?"

"A_dam_," I whined.

He smiled, kissing my leg. "Just watch."

I watched the rest of the match, and even though Adam lost, I still enjoyed it. Wrestling was pretty funny. No wonder my dad liked it so much.

Adam played a couple of more things for me - some episodes of Smackdown, another Pay-Per-View. It was practically midnight when I finally looked at the clock.

"Wow, it's late," I said nonchalantly, settling my eyes back onto the TV. I squinted. "Why the hell do you shake your head so much? It's making me dizzy."

Adam was silent.

I played with the ends of his hair. "Adam, are you listening?"

Finally, I heard the soft steady breathing of a sleeping Adam Copeland. I bent down and looked at his closed eyes, his slightly open mouth. It was the most peaceful part of Adam I'd ever seen - he looked so angelic, like a young boy who fell asleep while watching his favorite TV show.

I smiled and pressed my lips to his cheek, feeling him stir a few seconds later. I looked up and met his sleepy eyes. "Hi there," I said quietly.

He yawned. "How long was I out for?"

"I have no idea. I just noticed."

He laughed roughly and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "I take it you were enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah. Wrestling's not half bad."

"It's an addiction, I'm telling you." He shut off the TV. "Bed time."

I frowned. "Uh... about that - "

He looked back at me, blinking.

"I don't mean to sound awkward, but... seeing as how I just met you and all - "

Adam laughed, flapping his hand at me. "Oh. Don't worry, I have a guest bedroom. You can sleep in my room, I'll go in there."

"No, really, you don't - "

He pulled me up from the cushions and into his arms, and we just stayed there for a minute, basking in each other. He rubbed his thumb against my cheek and smiled, turning away to head toward his room.

I touched my face, dumbstruck. What a sweet gesture.

"Why aren't you following me?" he barked playfully, already in another part of the house.

I smiled and started after him, but stopped, back-tracking to the coffee table. I picked up his book from the corner, running my hand over the cover.

"Eligia!"

I laughed and hurried after him, finally finding him in the doorway of his bedroom. "You rang?"

"I thought you got lost." He smiled and turned, holding his arm out. "Uh, this is it."

I looked at him with an amused face, then hopped up onto the bed, settling back against the ten or so pillows. "You need this many pillows?"

"I like pillows." Adam took two to three, smiling when I glared at him. "There's only two in the other room."

"You can seriously sleep in here, while I can go - "

"Shut up. It's fine." He caught sight of the book in my hand, smiling softly. "Little bed-time reading?"

I flipped open the cover. "Absolutely."

"Okay." He bent over the side of the bed and turned my face, kissing me before I even had a chance to prepare. I had just kissed him back when he pulled away, eyes opening with a satisfied look on his face. "Well, good-night."

"Sleep tight," I chided.

He grinned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

I sighed and tapped my fingers against his face on the book. "Jesus Christ, Adam Copeland. What the hell are you doing to me?"

**A/N: EDGE MAKES ME SO HAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPY. With his crazy antics and twitching head. REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

I almost forgot where I was when I woke up the next morning. It was kinda nice, waking up in his bed. The only problem was, I woke up surrounded by pillows and not him. It was a strange feeling, wanting to wake up next to Adam Copeland. I'd only met him two days before, and already, he had me in so deep there was no way I was getting out.

I turned over, knocking something off the comforter. I thought it was a pillow at first, but the noise was too loud, so I bent down, squinting at the floor. His book was upside down on the carpet - I'd almost forgotten I had been reading it. It was too good to put down - I finished it halfway through the night.

I might've been falling for him. It was scary to even think about.

I smelled something delicious - like coffee - so I sat up and stretched, hopping down from his throne of pillows, and wandered into the hallway, where the smell wafted stronger. I followed it to the kitchen, where Adam was standing at the elaborate stove, thumping around with pans and spoons. I cleared my throat to tell him I was there.

He looked back sleepily and smiled. "Hi. How'd you sleep?"

"I can see why you like pillows." I yawned. "Is there coffee?"

"Yeah." He pointed in the general direction, then up at one of the cupboards. "Cups in there. Help yourself."

I came up beside him and pulled the cabinet door open, fishing out a white mug. The coffee was strong, I could tell when I poured it - I couldn't see the bottom of the cup. The scalding liquid was just slipping down my throat when I noticed he was cooking something. "I hope that's for me."

He looked up and smirked. "Yeah. You like eggs?"

I nodded, sitting up on one of the stools on the other side of his center island. I just watched him work, admiring his nice back. He was right - everything about him was extraordinary.

"I hope you slept well in your guest bedroom."

He didn't turn around, but I could see him smiling as he reached up to snatch a plate from one of the cupboards. "It wasn't exactly MY bed, but it was good enough. My back hurts, though."

I frowned. "I'm sorry. I told you I could sleep in there - "

"Don't worry about it." He slid a plate in front of me, reaching around to rub his shoulder blade. "Eat up."

"Do you want me to massage that?" I forked some eggs. "Do you have red pepper flakes?"

"Yes and what?"

"Red pepper flakes."

"I believe so." He pulled open a tiny door, shaking a little jar in his big hand. "This it?"

I nodded, reaching for it before he even handed it to me. I shook out a liberal amount and thumped the cap back on, noticing the way he stared at me with the smallest look of confusion as I put the jar down. I blinked and forked some eggs into my mouth.

He frowned. "Is it hot?"

"Yes."

"And you like it like that?"

I smirked slightly. "I like everything hot."

He pushed his hair back with both hands. "How silly of me to question you. You're in my house, after all."

I smiled and leaned forward when he bent down, kissing him softer than I could ever imagine. It was so frustrating how he was good at everything he did. "You make good eggs," I said quietly, moving away.

He followed me. "I'm a mastermind when it comes to a lot of things."

"It certainly looks like it." I pushed the food around. "I uh, finished your book."

He smiled, going back around the counter to grab his coffee. "Already?"

I blushed, nodding. "Yes. I admit it."

"Well." He leaned forward on his elbows, crossing his arms. "How'd you like it?"

"Do you mean love?" I leaned back, smiling at the ceiling. "I _loved_ it. I absolutely adored it."

"You mean you absolutely adored _me_."

"Well, if the shoe fits." I wrinkled my nose, pressing my lips to his mouth. "You're a phenomenal writer, and very passionate wrestler. I think that's what I liked best about the whole thing."

"Well, yes. I am very... passionate." He winked at me. "Speaking of passion, what are you doing tonight?"

I frowned. "Passion?"

He grinned. "You never know."

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"Hockey game's on. Wanna watch it with me?"

I pushed my hair back, realizing that I really needed to take a shower. "Who's playing?"

"Devils at Bruins."

I hissed a breath between my teeth. "Oh, man. You a Devils fan?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh, shit." I shook my head. "Adam Copeland, we might not work out after all."

He smiled. "And why's that?"

"Because I'm a Bruins kinda girl."

"No. Really?"

I nodded.

He stared at me for a moment, eyes searching my face. "Well, for you, I might make an exception."

-

I'd completely forgotten that I promised my parents I'd be over for Sunday dinner. My mother always had dinner on the table at two on Sundays - kind of a tradition with our family. And if any of us were late, we'd pay. Big time.

So when Adam told me it was after one while I was still eating, I had to leave in sort of a rush. But he still had time to woo me into a kiss that knocked me off my feet, reminding me to come back for the hockey game. I almost got into an accident trying to get home - from both rushing and the kiss - but I made it, hopping into the shower as soon as I walked in.

I was thumping around in my closet when my phone rang.

I froze, arm half in the sundress I'd picked out to wear, and stared at it, blinking rapidly on the nightstand. I debated whether to pick it up or not, but my bare feet were already taking me over there, and before I even realized it, the receiver was against my ear. "Hello?"

"Eligia, where the hell are you?"

I let out the breath I was holding. My sister. She must've been at my parents' already. "Sorry, Donna, I was with someone, so I'm just getting ready. I'll be there soon."

"Mommy's pissed right now. You better hurry up and get here." She paused. "Wait. With someone? Who?"

"I'll tell you later," I said, laughing slightly. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes, promise."

"Okay. Hurry up."

I put the phone back in its cradle, breathing a sigh of relief. It wasn't him.

Maybe it was finally over.

I finished getting dressed, putting some clothes into my over-sized bag for Adam's. I figured I was staying over again, so why not be prepared this time? It was kind of awkward kissing him when I hadn't even brushed my teeth.

I hustled into the kitchen, making sure the windows were locked, and grabbed a can of cat food out of the refrigerator for Von, wherever he might've been. I twisted it open, glancing at my answering machine.

My throat tightened.

_103 new messages_.

My hand itched to press play, but my mind told me to ignore it and leave before I ruined my night. But as I put the food down, I couldn't take it anymore. I practically threw myself on the counter, slamming my palm against the button, waiting.

"_You have 103 new messages. First message_... "

Then nothing.

"_End of message. Next message_... "

Silence.

"_End of message. Next message_... "

I pressed delete before it even started, hearing my breaths shudder out of my mouth.

"_Message deleted. Next message_... "

I pressed delete again, then again.

"_Message deleted. Next message_... "

I tapped the button like I was playing a video game, creating a rhythmic, nagging beeping with snippets of "_Message deleted_." in between the times my hand slowed down.

I paused.

"_Message deleted. Next message_... "

I gave up, ripping the answering machine from the wall, breaking the plaster, and hurled it across the room, watching it dent the paint. I grasped at my neck, feeling my pulse bump against my fingers like a drum. I had no other choice but to grab the bag I'd dropped on the floor, making sure my doors were locked before I ran to my car.

It wasn't over. Not even close.

**A/N: Edge, you will be the death of me. Review.**


	8. Chapter 8

The last dredges of fear melted away when I opened the door to my parents' house and was greeted with the warm and drifting smell of homemade sauce. Sunday was always the most family-oriented day of the week; my mother would bake bread and roll out macaroni - she called them little hats - while my father watched the football game. The process has always been a little sexist, but when dinner was ready, we'd gather around the table for the happiest moments of our lives.

But my father wasn't sitting in front of the television. In fact, the entire front room was completely empty. Everyone was in the dining room, talking loudly, clanging dishes.

Shit.

I was late.

And my mother was going to kill me.

I took off my coat and threw it on the couch, pushing up my sleeves as I headed toward the table. Everyone quieted down considerably when they saw me, my father with a piece of bread stuffed in his mouth, and I took my normal seat all the way at the end, shielding my red face with my hair.

"Where were you?" my father asked quietly.

I looked up. My mother was beside him, her face turning an even darker shade of crimson than mine was. I decided to ignore her harsh gaze and answer my dad. "I was... with someone. I lost track of time."

My sister, Donnatella, made an excited noise and slammed her hand on the table. "Oh! Was it your man?"

I covered my face.

My father cleared his throat. "Man-a? Who-a this man she talks-a about?"

"He's... he's nobody. Can I have some macaroni?"

"You want food, you arrive on time," my mother scolded sternly. She angrily dished me up some dinner, passing it down the line of people. "Disrespectful. That's all you ever are."

I hated getting yelled at in Italian. It sounded so degrading.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"So who is he?" Donna asked. Her husband was sitting next to her, staring blankly at his plate.

"Who's who?"

"Your _man_."

"Oh." I scratched my face. "He's not exactly my _man_, but - "

"_Tomayto_, _tomahto_, same difference." She pushed my shoulder. "Spill it."

I sighed. "Um, his name is Adam."

"Oooh, Adam." Donna grinned at our parents, turning back to me. "I like that name."

I laughed awkwardly.

"What's he do?"

"He's um... he's a... " I snagged a piece of bread from the basket in front of me, ripping it to shreds. "He's a wrestler."

Donna frowned. "A wrestler?"

"Yeah. Like... WWE?"

Her mouth dropped. "No _way_! No way. You're not dating a wrestler."

"I didn't say I was - "

"_Mama_! _Papa_! Eligia is dating a wrestler!"

My father's face lit up. "Who? Who are you-a dating?"

I swallowed the one piece of food I'd actually eaten. "Um, Adam."

He furrowed his brow. "Adam. I don't-a know any Adam."

"Oh, that's not his name." I snapped my fingers. "It's uh... Oh, God, what is it... Edge! It's Edge."

Paul - Donna's husband - leaned forward, eyes wide. "You're _what_?"

I blinked at him. "What?"

He looked at my father. "Did you hear what she said?"

My father stared at me, his eyes exploding but his mouth a straight line.

I formed my lips to say something, but nothing came out.

Donna frowned. "What's the matter?"

"You're dating _Edge_!?" My father was out of his chair. "Are you crazy?"

I closed my eyes quickly. He was talking in Italian. And he was _pissed_.

"You're dating Edge." Paul shook his head. "You must be a fucking retard."

"Paul!" my sister scolded.

"What? She is! That man is a crook! He's a liar!"

"No, he's not," I said weakly.

My father started pacing the small area behind the table. "How could you possibly get mixed up with someone like him? He's a bad person. He doesn't respect anyone or anything. I forbid this relationship!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What is this, Fiddler on the Roof?" I stood up, facing my dad. "He's not a bad guy. I've been with him for the past couple of days, and he's really nice."

"You're out of your mind!"

"He's using you!" Paul put in.

"Shut up, Paul." I looked at my dad again. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"You have no idea what you're getting into! You don't see the way he acts!"

"Neither do _you_. You watch him play a _character_ on a TV show. He's nothing like that in real life."

"He's putting up a front!"

"No, he _isn't_."

My father gripped the back of his chair, fingernails white. He looked at my mother. "Are you hearing any of this?"

She shook her head. "Eligia, you listen to your father. He knows-a what is best for you."

"No, he doesn't!" I scoffed, throwing my napkin on my plate. "You know what, this is ridiculous. I'm not staying here. Enjoy your meal."

"Eligia, you walk out of this house, don't expect to be welcomed back!"

I stumbled for a second, but kept my pace strong.

I slammed the door without answering him.

* * *

Adam blinked at me, a small smile on his face. "Back so soon?"

"Yeah. Here." I dropped a case of beer in his hand. "For the game."

He shut the door behind me, frowning. "What's the matter?"

"I had a fight with my family."

"About?"

I took off my coat. "You, actually."

He grinned. "Told your family about me already, huh?"

"Didn't plan on it. My sister hounded me."

"So. How'd they take it?"

"My dad told me never to come back." I smiled when his face fell. "After I got into a big fight with them - in Italian, no less. They seem to think you're actually Edge in real life and not Adam."

He nodded. "Makes sense."

I scrubbed my hands over my face. "Can you open that? I really need some."

I heard him thump it down, tear the cardboard top. Snap one of the caps off. "Here," he said quietly.

I took it from him. "And I went home before I went there."

"Naturally." He stopped. "What happened?"

"Hundred and three new messages on my machine." I took a sip. "All silence."

He pursed his lips. "Did you keep them?"

"No. I deleted half of them, then went insane and threw it across the room."

Adam sighed and put his arms around me. "Sorry."

"Not your fault," I said into his shirt.

"You staying here tonight?"

"Only if you'll have me."

He laughed slightly, rumbling my cheek. "Sounds promising."

* * *

I was drunk. I could tell. There were a lot of bottles in front of me, and I was swearing at the television for some bullshit call against _my_ team. Today just wasn't going right for me, was it?

Adam wasn't helping. He was just sitting there, in one of his many Devils jerseys, smiling softly as he watched me flip out and practically knock over the bowl of nachos in my lap. Such admiration he had for me in his eyes - I would've noticed it a little more, but I was kinda pissed.

"Did you see that call?" I slurred, almost falling into his lap.

He held back a laugh. "I did."

I thumped the chips on the coffee table in front of me. "Bullshit."

"You made that very clear."

"Fuck off, my back hurts." I frowned and leaned against my knees, rubbing my fingers against the knot in my neck. I didn't work out earlier, so I was paying for it. Especially since I had been eating junk food like it was my fucking job.

"Where?" Adam's warm, enormous hand touched my skin, and I had to stop myself from shivering. But once he started loosening the muscles between my shoulder blades, I couldn't help but melt into a puddle on the floor.

"Christ, you got good hands," I mumbled into my jeans.

"Thank you. I take pride in that."

"You should."

He stayed quiet, rubbing his nimble fingers against the nape of my neck.

"How do you play such a good jackass on TV?"

He laughed slightly. "Just practice, I guess."

"But you're not a jackass." I lifted my head, feeling the pressure building. My vision was dancing. "In fact, you're the nicest guy I know."

His hand cupped around my neck softly - he had long fingers. "I'm really not a nice guy, Eligia."

"Yes, you are."

"I can be pretty bad when I want to."

"Yeah, but you always need healthy doses of bad." I grinned, trailing my fingers down his chest. "Like, I could be bad right now and tease you."

"That's not being bad, that's being cruel." He smiled when my hands danced across his stomach. He caught them before I could go any lower. "You're a little drunk. Maybe you should go to sleep."

"See?" I leaned forward, my mouth pressed against his. "You're a nice guy."

He sighed, smiling knowingly at me. "All right, you got me."

"But I don't want you to be nice."

Adam frowned. "Eligia - "

"I want you to be _bad_." I kissed him.

He pulled back, eyes closed. "I can't. This isn't right."

"Fuck what's right." I just about poured my drunken ass into his lap, weaving my hands into his voluminous blond hair. "Come on, Adam. I wanna see what you're made of."

"You know... " He looked me up and down, almost frightened. "You're making it really hard for me to be the good guy."

"Then don't be the good guy." I bit his neck and he sucked in a huge breath. "I always had a thing for assholes, anyway."

"Wait, wait." He pushed me back. His neck was red. "Just... just promise me you won't hate yourself or me if we do this."

"I promise."

"You're sure, now?"

"Yes."

Adam just about attacked me. "Thank fucking God."

**A/N: FINALLY. I LOVE EDGE. REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Edge rules. Rules. Rules.**

I woke up before I actually opened up my eyes, but I couldn't imagine why I was so fucking cold. I was practically shivering. And when I did open my eyes, I realized why. I wasn't in my room. I was in someone's house, and whoever it was cranked the AC to its fullest potential.

Where was I?

I sat up, groaning when my head pounded behind my eyes. I hated hangovers. There weren't even like people described them - they were worse. It wasn't so much the headaches that got me, but the downright exhaustion I always felt. It was like I hadn't slept the entire night.

I looked down.

Oh. Guess I didn't.

I covered my mouth to keep myself from both screaming and/or throwing up. Adam must've heard me squeak because he slowly opened his eyes and gave me the perfectly satisfied smile.

"Hey. You're up early."

I tugged the covers up to my chin, rubbing my hair. "Uh, yeah. What time is it?"

He looked over his shoulder at the alarm clock next to his bed. "Nine-thirty."

"Jesus. I should probably go."

"No," he whined, grinning. He pulled me back down and rolled over, so he was on top of me. But he just stayed there and watched me, running his hand over my fanned out strands. "You look great in the morning. I'm kind of jealous."

"Who are you trying to kid? You're anything but ugly right now."

"Yeah, I know." He smiled and pushed his hair back. "Are you hungry?"

I shrugged. "Not really."

"Good. Neither am I." He bent his head and pressed his mouth against mine, making a small noise before he opened his eyes. "I'm hungry for some of this, though."

I smiled slightly, touching the ends of his hair. "I need to get up."

"No, you don't." He smirked and kissed my jaw. "We can just stay here all day."

"You're certainly making this hard."

He wiggled his eyebrows.

I slapped his shoulder. "Shut up, I didn't mean it like that."

"Right." He ran his mouth slowly across my neck. "But continue."

"I don't know, Adam, I think I should - " I gasped when he bit my earlobe.

"You were saying?"

I could barely form a sentence, so Adam took that as a sign of defeat. He leaned up and kissed my mouth again, sending sweet, electric jolts up and down my spine. He was certainly good at everything he did.

My eyes opened when I heard the startling vibration of my cell phone going off on the night stand. Adam kept on his merry way, so I finally had to turn my head to stop him.

"What?" he murmured, pressing his face into my shoulder.

"My phone's ringing." I could feel my heart beat against his arm. "Should I get it?"

"No."

"But, Adam - "

He sighed and leaned up, looking at me quietly. He shook his head and stretched his arm to the table, thumping his hand around until he found it. "Hello?"

I frowned. "Adam, give it to me."

He grinned and sat up. "This is Adam, who's this?"

Well, it wasn't the usual caller, thank God.

"This is Donna? I'm sorry, Donna, I don't think we've met."

I covered my face. Oh, sweet Jesus.

"Yeah, she's fine. She was a little shaken up when she came over last night, but she seemed to loosen up." He patted my side and winked at me when I dropped my hands, shifting slightly. "What's that?"

I could hear her voice, but it was muffled. I couldn't make out the words.

"You want to have breakfast with her? I think that's do-able." He paused, his eyes searching the wall behind us, nodding while she talked. He smiled. "Thank you! I'd love to join you guys."

"What - "

He held me down by my shoulder, leaning forward. "Yeah, that's fine. We'll be there in... an hour? Is that okay with you?" He grinned. "Great. Nice talking to you, Donna. I certainly hope you're as gorgeous as you sound."

I gaped at him. "Are you hitting on my sister?"

He shook his head, then laughed. "My voice is one of my many endearing qualities. See you soon."

I just stared at him as he shut my phone, looking at the front screen in case the call didn't end. He smiled at me. "She sounded nice."

"I can't believe you just did that!" I slapped his chest. "I'm so embarrassed!"

"Why?"

"Because you answered my phone!"

He frowned. "I didn't say, 'Hello, Donna, I'm answering your sister's phone because she's too sore from last night to even move.'"

"Adam!" I threw my arm over my eyes.

He kissed my mouth. "She sounded cool. We're meeting them in an hour, I guess."

"_Them_?"

"Her and Dan? That's her husband, isn't it?"

I groaned. "Great. Just great."

"What?" He lifted my arm slightly, peeking at me. "You embarrassed of me, or something?"

"No! I just don't want you to subject you to them. At least this early. You'll run for the hills."

"After last night?" He grinned. "I think I'll stick around for a while."

I sighed and sat up slightly, putting my face against his collarbone. "I just hope they're nice to you. In case you forget, Dan thinks you're married to... what's her name?"

"Vickie."

"Yeah. He's not exactly smart."

"I think I can handle it." He ran his hands over my shoulders. "I think this'll be good. He'll see that I'm not, and that'll make nice for the rest of your family."

"I don't know." I looked up at him and smiled. "You're kind of cocky."

"Kind of what?"

"Cocky."

"What?"

"Adam, _stop_." I smiled slightly. "Just prepare yourself. And if it's not going right, I'll just say we have to train afterward so we can't stay."

"Eligia, it's gonna be _fine_." He pushed my hair back with both hands. "Don't worry."

"You don't know my sister."

"And she doesn't know me. That's why we're having breakfast with her." He wrinkled his nose, then kissed mine. "So you should probably get up and take a shower."

I moaned and pushed him over, rolling out of bed. My head hurt even more than before. "I just hope you know what you're getting into."

"I do." He grinned as he followed me into the bathroom. "The shower."

* * *

"I hope she's jealous." I glanced at Adam as we headed down the boardwalk to the tiny restaurant that sat right near the dock. I couldn't help but run my hands back through his curling, damp hair. "Hell, I'd be jealous of your hair alone."

"She will be." He grinned and took my hand from his face, lacing our fingers. "It's not every day you meet someone who's hair is sculpted by the gods themselves."

"That!" I stopped walking, tugging him when he didn't. "You can't talk like that. You have to be _nice_, remember? That's something Edge would say."

"No, that's something Adam says." He smiled. "But I promise I won't say anything _that_ confident when I'm around them. I'll go into autograph mode."

I frowned. "Autograph mode?"

"When I do signings, I act like myself, just... a little more normal. Hi, nice to meet you. Laugh whenever I can. You know. The standard first meeting kind of deal."

"Well... Good." I stumbled a bit when I saw her, sitting at one of the tables outside, searching the crowd for us. She had no idea what Adam looked like, but Dan did, so when he saw him, he nudged Donna's side and pointed at us.

Her jaw dropped.

Perfect.

Her eyes followed us the entire walk, even when we went through the gate to get to her table. Dan was glaring the entire time, but it really turned into a scowl when Adam and I took a seat across from them.

"Donna, Dan - this is Adam."

Adam reached across the table and held his hand out to Donna. "We talked on the phone. Your appearance has yet to disappoint me."

She squeaked and touched his hand lightly, barely shaking it. Her entire face reddened.

Adam nodded at Dan. "Nice to meet you, man. I'm Adam."

Dan frowned and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Adam grinned at me, then looked back at Donna. "How are you this morning?"

She shook her head. "Um... Fine. I'm fine. How... are you?"

"I'm... tired." He gave me a side glance, that wonderful smirk of his denting his face. "But other than that, I'm great."

Donna's eyes lit up when she looked at me. "Oh, my God. I know that look. You - "

I held up my hand. "Don't even say it."

She pouted. "Tell me later?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why are you with her?" Dan asked suddenly, jerking his head toward me. "Isn't she a bit _young_ for you?"

Adam shrugged. "I didn't think age was a problem."

"Do you _know_ how old she is?"

Adam pursed his lips and looked me up and down. "Around... twenty-six?"

I nodded. "Twenty-seven. Nice."

Dan scowled at him. "And how old are you? Thirty?"

"Thirty-five."

Donna's jaw dropped again. "You're _older_ than me? No shit!"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Can't tell, can you?"

She shook her head.

"I think that's too old," Dan grumbled. "And besides, you're an asshole."

Donna gasped. "Daniel!"

I covered my face.

Adam put his hand between my shoulder blades, then made his way up, cupping the back of my neck. "I _am_ an asshole." I could hear the smile in his voice. "But I'm not Edge. I just want to clear that up right now. You do know those are characters, right?"

"You're too good, though. You can't be that good."

"Hate to break it to you, but Adam Copeland is great at everything he does." He started massaging my neck underneath my hair. "Just ask Eligia."

Donna squealed. "You two are so cute!"

Adam laughed. "Thank you. I'm telling you, man, once you get to know me, you'll realize why I'm so good at what I do. But it's not who I am, it's just how I work."

"That makes no sense."

"It will. Just give it time. _Let it soak in_."

I uncovered my eyes and put one of my hands on Adam's thigh. "I think we should go work out."

"Not in front of your sister, Eligia."

I thumped my head against the table.

Donna was laughing loudly. "I like him, Eligia!"

Adam licked his lips. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"I still think you're an asshole," Dan mumbled.

Adam sighed. "Everyone does."

**A/N: AW. ADAM. Review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: What the fuck is up with Edge/Ashley stories? That's almost as _whore_rifying as Edge/Maria. Anyhoo. I've been listening to Enrique Iglesias. I can only imagine what this chapter is going to be like.**

Throughout the entire breakfast, I couldn't get a word in edgewise - no pun intended. Adam just talked the entire time. I was honestly surprised that the man did not need oxygen to stay alive. It was just one joke after another, one story after another, one smirk after another. Donna just ate it up, her eyes shining with laughter whenever Adam said something semi-funny. I was almost jealous at the attention he was giving her.

"I think we should get going."

Adam looked at me, half-way through a story. "What?"

"I think we should get going. We have to work out, remember?"

"Well, it can wait, can't it? I have to finish this story - it's absolutely hilarious."

"I'm sure it is," Donna said dreamily.

I hadn't even heard the story yet. I hadn't heard half of the stories Adam told that morning.

Dan stood up. "I think Eligia has a point. We need to get going, too."

"Where?" Donna waved him away. "We have nothing better to do."

"Yes, we do, Donna, and so do they." He grabbed her elbow, hauling her to her feet. He gave us an aggravated smile. "We'll pay since we asked you to come out."

"Thanks, Dan." I had a new found respect for him. I grabbed Adam's hand. "Let's go, motor mouth."

Adam stumbled to get up. "It was nice to meet you, Donna."

Donna sighed. "You too, Adam." She looked at me. "Gia, I'll call you later."

"Yeah. Later." I tugged his arm, waiting until we were halfway down the block to rip into him. "What the hell was that back there?"

"What?"

"Why were you acting like that?" I glanced over my shoulder. "Why were you practically flirting with my sister?"

"I wasn't." He stepped around me to open the car door. "I was being nice."

I waited for him to get in before I continued. "You told her some things about you today that I never even knew. What the fuck is that about?"

"Jealous?" He smirked and started the car. "Don't be. I was just putting up an act. She's nice, though."

"Well, I'm glad you like her so much." I crossed my arms, staring out the passenger window. "Jesus."

Adam put his hand on the back of my neck, but I wouldn't move. "Hey," he said quietly. "Look at me."

I twisted my head with an eye roll. "What?"

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, holding my face in place with his other hand. "I was just being nice. Your sister is nice, and very pretty, but she's just not you."

"Oh, that's encouraging."

"No, I'm serious. Your sister's hot." He grinned. "But she was practically melting for me. I don't want that. I like that you were hard to get. Adam Copeland likes a challenge."

I pouted slightly. "You never told me any of those stories."

"I'm sorry." He ruffled my hair. "I'll tell you the rest of them on the drive to the gym. Deal?"

I frowned. "You promise you don't like my sister?"

Adam's laugh was velvety as he pulled out of the parking spot. "I swear to the God of Thunder that I don't like your sister."

"Thor?"

Adam grinned. "And that's why I like you and not her."

* * *

The gym was especially busy when we got there. Almost every machine was taken, the place rumbling with the sounds of weights banging or people talking. It was almost comforting. I didn't feel scared there anymore - it was nice and calming.

"That guy isn't here, is he?"

I looked around, shaking my head. "No. I don't think so."

"Okay. Good." He grabbed my hand. "Let's go get ready."

When we went into the back, it was nearly empty. Only one or two people came and went, but for the most part, it was just Adam and me.

"Wanna help me get undressed?" Adam grinned, running his tongue over his teeth.

I rolled my eyes and pushed him toward the men's locker room. "Put your tongue back in your mouth and get changed. I'm paying you by the hour."

"Sounds promising." He laughed when I slapped him. "I'm just kidding!"

"I'm sure." I went into the women's laughing, but it quickly died when I realized it was completely empty. A small bubble of fear crept into my chest, but I tried to keep myself as composed as possible. I opened my locker and started getting undressed, ignoring the way everything I did bounced off the walls loudly.

Adam was already waiting for me outside, grimacing slightly. "I don't feel like working out today."

"Well, you're going to get fat if you don't." I raised a brow. "Do you want to get fat?"

"No, but I don't want to work out either."

"Oh, a real Catch-22." I smiled, dragging him out into the crowded room. There was one machine open - lat pulldown. I headed over there quickly and pushed him down onto the seat. "Lat pulldowns or shoulder presses?"

"Shoulder presses." He stood up languidly and grabbed the bar, grinning down at me. "That way I get to look at you."

I rolled my eyes. "Twenty reps, let's go."

"Twenty? Let's go for ten."

"Twenty." I switched to fifty pounds. "Can you handle that?"

"_Fifty_ pounds?" He pulled the bar down with one hand. "Put another hundred on there."

"Adam, you haven't worked out in a while."

"A while? It was two days ago."

"Let's make a deal - I'll put you on one hundred, but you have to do thirty."

Adam smiled and sat down, pulling the bar down with him. "Fine. Count it out."

"One, two, three, four... Stop. You're doing it wrong."

"What?"

"Your hands are too close together." I stepped up to him, curling my fingers around his. "Move them farther apart."

"Do it for me, trainer."

I frowned down at him. "You can drop and give me twenty for that."

He slid up, pressing his face close to mine. "Done."

I laughed when he got down and started doing them, clapping in between each one. "I was just kidding, you moron." I bent to help him up. "Come on, get up."

"I could just use you to work out."

I blushed. "Adam - " I nearly screamed when he hauled me into his arms. "Adam! What the hell are you doing?"

"Bicep curls." He shook his hair back. "I wasn't kidding."

"Adam - Adam, stop! This isn't safe!"

"I've done it before." He frowned at me. "Why aren't you counting?"

"This is crazy! Put me down!"

He grinned. "Not until I get to thirty."

"Adam!"

"Relax, I'm a trained professional."

I struggled against him. "Put me _down_. I'm not kidding."

He sighed, righting me. "Well, if I'd known I was going to get cheated out of a thorough work-out, I wouldn't have hired you as my trainer."

"You'll get a thorough work-out." I smirked slightly. "Just do as I say."

"I like the sound of that." He grinned. "What am I doing first, trainer?"

"Thirty reps." I pointed to the machine. "Let's go."

"Well, I was doing it wrong." He sat down slowly, his hands sliding down my sides. "Teach me."

I blushed and looked away. "Just do it comfortably and I'll tell you what you're doing wrong."

I saw him smirking out of the corner of my eye as he reached up and pulled the bar down to his shoulders, letting it spring back loosely.

I grabbed his hands. "Spread your hands like I said before."

"Okay." He slid his fingers down the bar slowly, lifting his face up. "Is that better?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Little farther."

He did as he was told, biting his bottom lip. "Good?"

"Yeah."

He tried to flip his hair back, but some of it got caught on his eyelashes. "Move my hair, I can't concentrate."

I smiled and pushed it behind his ear for him, keeping my hand there as I silently counted his reps in my head. He watched me the entire time, his eyes dancing.

"Hey, knock it off you two."

I shot back and looked over, smiling awkwardly when Ray came up. "Hey. Sorry."

"I'm just teasing." Ray nodded at me. "Everything all right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Great."

"No one's bothering you, right?"

"No."

"Except you," Adam added, smiling.

Ray laughed and patted his shoulder. "You're all right, man. I thought you were going to be an asshole when I first met you. No offense."

"Non taken. Happens all the time."

Ray grinned, looking back at me. "I just got back from running some errands, so if you need to talk to me, I'll be in my office."

"You got it, man."

Ray pointed at Adam. "Keep your hands to yourself, buddy."

Adam smirked up at me, then looked back at Ray. "Now, where's the fun in that?"

**A/N: I'm tired. I'm going back to bed. Adam trumps the world. Review.**


	11. Chapter 11

It was dark by the time I got home. The wind was hard and biting as I pushed open my car door, fighting against it as Adam pulled in behind me, the glare of his headlights blinding me temporarily. I smiled slightly and headed for his car.

He frowned as the window rolled down. "You sure you'll be all right?"

"Yeah." I glanced back at my dark house, feeling my knees knock together. I hoped it was just the wind. "I'll be fine. I have my cat."

"What a big help he'll be." Adam sighed and ran his hand over his steering wheel. "I wish you'd come back to my house tonight."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't get too dependent on you." I smiled slightly, hoping the heaviness in the air would lift. "What would I do if you left?"

"Why would I leave?"

I bit my lip and looked away, shrugging. "I don't know. If you went back on the road."

"You could come with me." His hand reached out, touching my arm. "Be my _personal_ trainer."

"Get out of here," I said on a laugh, stepping back. I cleared my throat when my smile faded. "Go on. Get out of here."

He smirked slightly, thumping his car into reverse. "No good-night kiss?"

"No. I'm mad at you."

He laughed. "For what!"

"For being such a dick." I wrapped my fingers around the window frame.

"I'm Adam Copeland - it's in my nature." He leaned forward, pressing a hard kiss to my mouth. "Good-night."

I was tempted to get in the passenger's seat and let him take me back to his place. I felt safe there, I felt protected. But I let out a shaky breath and opened my eyes. "Good-night."

He was smirking as he pulled away, shaking his head.

I sighed and faced my house, enjoying the way my hair whipped back from the force of the wind. It was completely dark inside, the porch light not even on, and I could hear the surf behind it crashing against the sand.

I mounted the steps, jumping when the shadows from the dancing palm trees slid across the far end of the deck. It almost looked like a person twisting to music. I found it hard to push my key into the lock, to get the door open without taking my eyes off the figure.

The light switch was on the way into the kitchen. I tried my hardest to will my heart to slow, but I found myself rushing in and pressing the button so the room got some light.

Everything seemed normal.

The door was still open, but I went farther into the house, turning on every light, opening every door, checking every closet. I looked under the bed and found nothing but dust and old books, carelessly tossed away.

Von leapt up onto the comforter, meowing loudly. It was pathetic, really. He looked so sad, so hungry, so forgotten, and I couldn't help but gather the fat ass up and hug him close to my chest, feeling his soft fur against my cheek.

I shushed him as he struggled, heading over to the big window that led out to the deck. A soft rumble of thunder rolled over the house. "Are you hungry, Von?"

He hissed in response, clawing his way out of my arms.

"Shut up, you haven't eaten for a day." I rolled my eyes, pressing my face against the glass. The thunder shook the window. "I'm sorry."

I wasn't surprised there was a storm coming in. I could feel the electricity in the air outside. It made my hair stand up on the back of my neck.

Lightning flashed, and for a split second, my heart dropped.

There was someone standing on the deck.

I screamed and stumbled back, barely feeling the scratches Von gave me as he hopped out of my arms. He landed on the night stand and knocked the lamp off, sending my room into darkness.

I had two choices - a smart one, and a stupid one. I chose the stupid one and stepped up to the window again, flipping the switch next to it.

The light on the back flashed on, illuminating just a foot or so beyond the deck, and the rest was black.

No one was there.

I blinked a few times, straining my eyes to see into the darkness. From what I could see, there were no foot prints in the sand. I jerked a little when rain started to patter against the glass.

"It was nothing," I breathed. I looked at Von, his yellow eyes glowing furious in the dark. "It was nobody."

My heart still racing, I headed for the kitchen, Von following angrily behind me. I was just going to get him some food and then go to bed. If I went to sleep, I wouldn't have to deal with whatever was happening.

The front door was open, banging widely against the wall as the wind and rain whipped around outside. I completely froze, but then I realized _I_ had left it open. A stupid move on my part, but at least it was me who did it.

I shuddered as I moved forward to close it.

Something crunched under my feet.

I looked down, frowning at the white envelope that crumpled under my shoe. Probably some mail from yesterday that I didn't pick up.

I closed the door.

But that wasn't there before.

At least, I didn't think it was.

My hands itched to pick it up, and one part of me said I should. But the other part screamed no, and told me to just throw it away.

My fingers slid under the flap urgently, and I ended up ripping the folded paper out of it with little remorse.

My eyes scanned the page quickly, frowning at the picture. It was Adam. But... he wasn't Adam, he was Edge, and he was holding up a golden belt of some kind. I couldn't really see him that well. The red ink bleeding over it was distracting me.

_You're mine.  
_

**A/N: Cliff hanger, fuckers. Review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm really sick, so I apologize in advance.**

Although it felt as if someone had taped my eyes closed, I willed myself to open them. It was incredibly hard at first. My vision wouldn't focus and I felt like I was slipping unconscious, but I tried my hardest to keep them trained long enough for me to realize I wasn't in my room.

My eyes rolled back slightly but I focused them on the bright light I was facing. It hurt my head, but I turned my neck, feeling it tighten harshly. My mouth was dry from being open all night.

I grunted slightly, and lifted my head, closing my eyes when pain shot all throughout my body. My hand slipped on something, but I got on my knees and glanced around.

I was in the front foyer.

My hand had slipped on the piece of paper I'd gotten last night, and it was all crumpled and ripped underneath my fingers. I looked at the image and sighed, tossing it away.

I must've passed out. There really was no other explanation for it. I got to my feet slowly, feeling my entire body shudder and crack as I moved.

Sleeping on a hardwood floor was never the greatest thing to do.

I was just heading into the kitchen, rubbing a tired hand down my face, when the doorbell rang.

"Eligia?"

My heart started thudding erratically in my chest when I heard his voice. I didn't know whether to hug him or cry.

"Eligia, the door's open." He stopped in the foyer when he saw me standing in the kitchen, and his face tightened. He came over to me. "Why is your door open?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just woke up."

"With your door wide open?" He frowned when I turned away. He grabbed my arms and spun me around slowly, bending his head to look into my eyes. "Hey."

I refused to look at him.

"Hey." He tapped my chin. When I met his gaze, his was unreadable. "Are you okay?"

I shrugged again.

"Eligia. What's the matter?" His grip tightened. "Did something happen last night?"

I could feel my wall coming down, crumbling right beneath his hands. I wish I could've seen the look on his face when I tumbled back onto the floor, but my arms were covering my eyes as sobs racked my body.

Adam was right there, prying my arms away, looking helpless when I couldn't speak. He ended up throwing my hands around his neck as he let go of my wrists to pull me against his chest. He lost his balance and fell back against the cupboard, trapped under my dead weight.

He let me cry for so long, and he didn't say a word. He just sat back and held me as tight as he could, touched my hair, rocked us. I knew I had to thank him later on for that, but right then, all that mattered was that he was there.

Finally, I used all my tears up. There was none left in my body, so I just slowly pulled away from him and turned, wiping my eyes. I was almost embarrassed for breaking down like that - especially in front of him. I kept my back to him when I wound my arms around my bent legs.

"Eligia," he said quietly. Helplessly. He felt my hair between my shoulder blades. "Please. You gotta tell me what happened. Was someone here? Did someone hurt you?"

"No." I sniffed and turned back to him, sighing. I could feel my breathing start to slow down. "No, no one was here. At least... I don't think anyone was."

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

I knew I couldn't explain it, so I just got to my feet and shuffled into the foyer, grabbing the envelope and picture from the floor. I noticed on my way back that Adam had already shut and locked the door.

His eyes fell to the paper as I held it out, and his mouth opened slightly. An unreadable look crossed his face as he reached up and plucked it from my fingers. He didn't say anything for a couple minutes, his eyes shifting over every detail of the picture as I sat beside him, against the cupboards.

Finally, he put it down on his legs and bit his lip, lifting his gaze. "I'm... not sure how to take that."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and picked it up again. "I don't know if it's a threat to me... Or you."

I ran my fingers across my mouth. "I'm not sure, either."

He pursed his lips. "Are you scared?"

"What?"

"Are you scared?"

I tried to read what his eyes were saying, but I couldn't get anything. I nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm scared."

"Okay." He nodded. "I'm scared, too."

I watched him get up and brush his jeans off. He held his hand out to me afterward, his mouth set. He pulled me off the floor and entwined our fingers, but then he just stood there, staring at me with those opaque eyes.

"Where are we going?" I asked quietly.

He raised his other hand and crumpled the paper back against his wrist, touching my jaw softly with his two fingers. He kissed my mouth. "We're going to my house. I don't want you here. For a while."

"But, my cat - "

"You can come back tomorrow." He dragged me toward the front door. "But for now, I don't want you here. _I_ don't want to be here."

I really had no choice but let him lead me away from my life.

* * *

Adam stopped pacing, pressing his phone against his chin. "Maybe we should call the cops."

I shook my head and pushed my hair back. "For what? Drawing us pretty pictures?"

"Trespassing?"

"I don't know if he trespassed." I shook my head again and put my empty glass on the coffee table in front of me. "We've got nothing on this guy. He hasn't broken any laws."

"He has to have broken _some_ law."

I lifted my hands, letting them drop between my knees after.

Adam sighed and fell next to me, his fingers against his eyes. He was so tall, his long legs thrown out tiredly in front of him. I felt bad for putting him through this.

"Maybe I shouldn't drag you into this," I said quietly.

He lifted his pinky, his eyes shadowed underneath the rest. "What?"

"Maybe I should just... I don't know." I reached for my glass just so my hands would have something to do. "Go away. For a while."

"Are you crazy?" He sat up. "That's what he wants you to do. He wants you to be alone."

"Well, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm not going to get hurt, Eligia." Adam's stance suddenly loosened, and his cocky smirk broke on his face. "Believe me, I'm not worried about getting hurt."

"You said you were scared earlier."

"I am scared." Adam shrugged. "Doesn't mean I'm gonna give in."

"I'm not giving in, Adam, I'm just... " I sighed angrily. "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm a _bit_ frazzled."

Adam frowned, his hand finding the back of my neck. "I just wish I could do something for you. To calm you down."

I laughed slightly, crunching on the ice in my glass. "Forget it, Adam."

He played it off smoothly, his eyes narrowing. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not sleeping with you." I pursed my lips, glancing back at him. "At least, right now."

He smirked. "I wasn't thinking that, but it would help - "

"Go away." I laughed when he moved toward me, pushing at his face. "Stop! Go back to Canada."

Adam tried to bite my neck, but he froze, his hands on my sides.

I glanced at his face. "What? What's the matter?"

He looked at me, his mouth open. "That's it."

"What's it?"

"That's it!" He shot out of his seat and started pacing again, but he stopped, coming in front of me. He sat on the coffee table. "I'm gonna offer you something, okay?"

I blinked. "Okay... "

Adam took a deep breath. "Come up to Canada. Just for a few days, nothing major. Just give this thing some time to blow over."

I was already pulling away. "Adam - "

He grabbed my hands. "No. Listen. Okay?"

I sighed, looking back at him.

"I have a house up there. I mean, it wouldn't be any different than you staying here. Right?"

I smiled slightly. "Adam, I can't go up to _Canada_ with you. I barely know you!"

"You'd be a lot safer there than you are here."

I licked my lips. "Adam, I can't."

"Why not?" He smiled. "You'll get to see the snow."

He looked so lit up and excited about the idea, I could feel my heart breaking as I shook my head. "Adam, I can't. I have a job, and a cat, and - "

"Eligia?"

I stopped. "What?"

"Can you stop listing off the reasons why you _can't_ go and tell me one good reason why you _shouldn't_ go?"

"I barely know you."

Adam just looked at me, a smirk playing on his lips.

"I can't just drop everything I have here while you whisk me away."

"You're not dropping everything you have here. We'll stay... a few days. A week, tops."

It was a bad idea. I could feel it.

Adam shook my hands. "Just stop analyzing everything and say yes. Please."

"Adam - "

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine softly, opening his eyes slowly. "I want to keep you safe. I want to protect you." He kissed me again. "Just say yes. For me."

I sighed against his mouth. "Fine. I'll go."

"Thank you." He kissed my nose. "Was that so hard?"

I pursed my lips, running my hand up his arm. "It can be."

His eyes rolled back into his head as he fell onto me, pushing us back against the cushions. "You're gonna make the snow melt, I swear."

"That was lame."

"I'll make up for it." He kissed my neck. "I promise."

**A/N: OHHH CAAAANUHDAH. Review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: WOW IT'S BEEN SO LONG! How could I ignore this beautiful, beautiful Canadian for this long? Unfortunately it's no longer cold in Canada, but for the sake of the story, let's just say it is. :-)**

We landed in Canada and it was twenty degrees. I'd never been so cold in my life, but thank God I had Adam there. He immediately told me to button up the jacket I had to buy on my way to the airport and make sure the hat he'd lent me was snug on my head.

I couldn't even imagine how anyone could drive in this, let alone smoothly, like Adam was. He was going through all these twists and turns at fifty miles an hour without skidding once.

"It's instinct," he told me.

I couldn't help but feel my heart jump just a bit when we pulled into the driveway of his mom's house. There was a light on in the one of the windows, and I could see people moving around inside.

"How many people are here?" I asked, and I hoped I didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

"Just my mom, I thought." He frowned slightly. "She would've told me if other people were going to show up."

He got out and waited on the walkway for me to join him, smiling and laughing whenever I'd slip on the ice. "You gotta learn how to walk in this," he said.

"Why? I live in Florida."

"We'll be visiting more than once." He smiled and winked, then knocked on the door loudly before pushing it open. "Ma! I'm here."

Commotion exploded. There were squeals and people tearing Adam from my hand, hugging him close. A dog came barreling in and just about mauled me to get to him, tackling him to the ground once he did so.

Another blond came into my view. "Who are you?"

He was so blunt, so up front, that I just blinked at him.

He smiled. "I like your voice, it's really beautiful."

Who was this guy? I loved the way he talked, it was such an odd accent, completely different from Adam's.

"You know, you got a great set of pipes but you really need to stop talking."

I mustered up a laugh.

Adam broke away and came up to us. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked the guy, and gave him a one-handed hug.

"I told you I'd be in New York."

"Yeah, but you're in _Canada_."

"So it's a little out of my way." He motioned to me. "Who's the jabbering beauty?"

Adam put his arm around my shoulders. "Oh, this is Eligia."

Blondie frowned. "What?"

"Eligia. It's Italian."

"Oh. Cool. My name's Jay."

I nodded slightly, giving him a small smile. "You can call me Gia, if it's easier."

Jay pursed his lips. "I'm gonna call you Red."

I glanced up at Adam, but he was laughing. "Why?"

"Just sounds classy, you know? Distinguished. Like James Bond." He cocked a brow, grabbing my shoulder to tear me away from Adam and bring me into the crowded room. "Come on, Red, I'll show you the digs."

"You better make sure that hand stays on her shoulder, Reso!"

Jay waved him away, sliding it down to my waist. "Let's just see what he does," he whispered.

"I don't know if I—"

"Loosen up, Red, you just walked into a party."

"Yeah, and I don't know anyone."

"You know me." He shrugged. "That's enough."

I smiled slightly—I couldn't help it. "You're very self-assured, you know that?"

"Red, if I weren't, my hand wouldn't be on your ass right now."

I blinked, then jumped, realizing his fingers were dug in my back pocket. "How did you do that!?"

"My voice." He winked. "It's distracting. Can I get you a drink?"

* * *

If I hadn't met Adam before I met Jay, and if Jay weren't actually married to a beautiful German model, I would've dated him. Honestly. The guy was _hysterical_. If I said one thing in all seriousness, he would retort it with something completely funny, but I wouldn't even realize it because he'd mock my tone.

"You're too serious," he told me. "Let your hair down."

I really wanted to, but I hadn't met his mother yet, so I decided against it. "Do you know where Adam is?"

"What? Not enjoying my company?" He smiled, but not at me. "He's in the living room with his mom."

"Oh." I stood up and fixed my shirt, handing Jay my drink. "I guess I should go find him."

"Have you met her yet?"

"Who?"

Jay jerked his head toward the open doorway.

"No. I haven't. Should I be worried?"

"No," he said airily. "Just be nice. I'm sure she'll love you."

I let out a tiny breath and headed into the living room, which had finally quieted down. His mom was sitting next to him, and she looked _so small_, engulfed by his big arm on the back of the couch.

He looked up at me. "Oh! Gia, I'm glad I found you!"

"You didn't look very hard," I said, smiling.

"I don't have to—you always end up falling into my lap." He winked and pulled me down next to him, kissing my temple. "I want you to meet someone."

I leaned past his lap and smiled at his mom. "Hi. I'm Eligia."

She looked a little distant, but her teeth shone brightly. "Hi, honey. I'm Judy."

"Ah." Adam clapped his arms around us. "The two most important women in my life."

I grinned when he bent down and kissed my ear. "Does he always sweet talk like this?"

"You should hear what he used to say," she said, waving her hand. "But he seems different this time."

"It's because I'm not bullshitting," he said bluntly.

"Watch your mouth."

"Sorry, Ma."

I couldn't hold my giggles. "You two are so cute."

"It's just been the two of us." Adam ruffled his mom's hair. "Since I was born."

"Really?"

He nodded. "And I thank God every day for that."

Then he leaned over and kissed his mom's temple, and I just about had it. I couldn't sit there and watch him act so loving and adorable with his mom, because I knew that our life—if it continues together—will never be that perfect.

But I didn't want to let go of that one second, that one scrap of impeccability, because I was too selfish to get up and leave.

So I sat and listened to them tell stories.

And I realized I could possibly have a life with this guy.

Paragon or not.

**A/N: Goddamn it, I miss Edge so much. Review.**


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